Oh friends, I'm so excited to share with you about our Winter getaway today! I've written before about how this time of year often feels dreary as the days are a little darker, the school work a little more tired and all the mamas grow a bit weary. We were feeling it and we were ready for some LIGHT. So, when The Moms asked us to join a crew of bloggers at Woodloch Pines Resort in the Poconos to explore and adventure, we answered with a resounding "yes." So with no further adieu, here is my recap of all Woodloch has to offer. I hope it will prompt a visit there for your family or if you live far away, that it will inspire you to get outdoors and enjoy one another any way you can.
When we arrived our children literally leaped out of the mini-van. The view from our room was so dreamy- it overlooked the frozen lake, where our west coast selves saw ice fishermen for the first time ever. I could have sat and gazed all day, but of course the kids couldn't wait to play in fresh snow. There were so many areas to explore: from tubing runs, archery, go carts and just as many indoor activities. We started with a good old fashioned snow ball fight followed by a lunch meet up with friends in the lodge.
The dining experience struck a great balance between fancy and fun. Our servers got to know our children well over the weekend and there were options for all of my picky eaters. After our first meal, they even started to bring Josh and I larger coffee mugs and took to leaving the carafe on the table for us (coffee drinkers unite!) The meals were each 4 courses and while they were beautifully plated and offered heaps of variety, the atmosphere felt comfortable and cozy enough for our children to really enjoy themselves and not worry about getting crumbs everywhere. Also...the hot chocolate was a major hit! Dinner time was complete with some of our children's favorite characters from movies and real life, who were all more than happy to pose for pictures.
One of our favorite events of the weekend? Cake Wars! We had 30 minutes to create a themed design out of a given set of ingredients, just like on the television show. Woodloch had several events like this throughout the weekend: a singing competitions, bingo- all kinds of themes to bring families together and participate in things outside their element. Also? Never again will I judge the impulsive decisions made on those shows- the time whizzes by.
The rest of our first day was filled with the Go Kart track and the shooting range, where our kids surprised us with their need for big competition and their skill with a paintball gun!
Woodloch is a pretty vast property, so in all seasons they offer a complimentary shuttle service to get around. It was so helpful for us in freezing temps as we moved between activities, but it also allowed for our older kids to get around safely on their own or with friends.
We were surprised though, at how easy it was to find things to do ALL together. With the ages of our kids spanning from 6-13, its a rare thing to find activities to enjoy where all of them are engaged. Usually, one or more is on the sidelines, too big to enjoy what we are doing, or too little to participate safely. It was so refreshing to be in a place where there really was "something for everyone" and, even better, that it was all inclusive and all planned by someone besides mom and dad. A huge hit all weekend long was the bumper cars. Our youngest proved to be the most likely to take out other family members and was delighted by that!
The evening had so much to offer between indoor play at the Rainforest, basketball games and Broadway quality shows. We had a hard time deciding what to take part in, but finally landed on a Magic Show. It was definitely the right choice for our family! Jones was pulled on to the stage as an assistant, and even now, almost a week later, is still talking about levitating tables, the wallet that was on fire and birds and rabbits that appeared out of nowhere. This was so full of humor and fun for the adults in the crowd too and it left us each amazed!
With the temperatures much warmer on our last day, we decided to spend more time outside, tubing, hitting the go Kart track again and enjoying the petting zoo.
This awesome weekend away was made possible by our sweet friends, The Moms, who are leading trends and discussions about Modern Motherhood.
This trip was also sponsored by Vaseline® Intensive CareTM. We were asked to put Vaseline to the test in cold temperatures on this trip, and we certainly did! Vaseline's products were sensitive enough to use even on my kiddos with diagnosed excema (such a rare feat in my experience with prescription lotions and salves!) So here's the skinny on Vaseline:
